Dress form



Aug. 9, 1960 Filed Feb. 2, 1956 J. S STODDARD DRESS FORM 2 Sheets-Sheet1 INVENTOR. LIESSIE. .5. STUDDARD ATTURNEY Aug. 9, 1960 J. 5. STODDARD 3DRESS FORM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb; 2, 1956 INVENTOR. :JEEEIE 5.STUDDARD BY xznn -a AT TDRNEYI- DRESS FORM jessie S. Stoddard, 2821Congress St Fair-field, Conn; Filed Fe 2, 1956, Ser. No. 563,004

'1 Claim. (Cl. 223-6 The present invention relates to a dress form,particularly for home use, and'has'for an Object to provide a device ofthis character which may be supplied in, the form of a plurality. ofrelatively flexible members of sheet material, such as heavy card orfiber board in flat form, and which is adapted to be assembled in suchmanner as to substantially approximate 'a desired shape of the torsoabove the waist. To this end it is particularly proposed to providemeans whereby the several pieces making up the form may be securedtogether in such adjusted relation that various predetermined sizes andshapes may be produced.

A further object is to provide a form adapted to be supported upon asuitable stand, and which latter maycomprise a dress form, to simulatethe part of the body below the waist, as well as the diaphragm portionimmediately above the waist, it being particularly proposed to providemeans whereby the parts may be relatively vertically adjustable so as todispose the parts at desired.

distances above the waist, as well as above the floor. In this respect,the present invention is especially adapted for co-operation with adress form of the, type, asdisclosed in my co-pending application forDress Form, Serial No. 549,287 filed November 28, 1955, nowPatent,No.2,879,- 928 dated March 31, 1959.

Other objects and advantages of the invention; will become apparent froma consideration'of the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein a satisfactoryembodiment of the invention is shown. However it will be understood thatthe invention isnot limited to the details disclosed but includes allsuch variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of theinvention and the scope ofthe appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the several parts of the dress,form in separated relation and certain of the parts in their formproducing shape as curved from the normally flat sheet material of whichthe parts are formed.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the disc members employed for providinga bust simulating part, the same being inits normal flat position;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the disc of Fig. 2 adjusted and securedin a cup formation;

Fig. 4 is, a perspective view of the dress form assembled; and

Fig.5 is a front elevation showing the dress form as supported upon astand in cooperating relation with a dress form simulating the portionof the body below the waist and immediately above the diaphragm.

Referring to the drawings, the dress form generally comprises aplurality of identical but reversely disposed right and left parts, aswell as certain medial parts cooperating therewith, so. that in thefollowing description the identical right and left parts will be givencorresponding numbers, and the description of the right parts will applyto, the left parts. The several parts are formed of relaited StatesPatent Patented Aug. .9, 1960 tively stiff card or fiber board and areadapted to be secured together by suitable fasteners engaged inregister-i ing holes in overlappingportions of connected parts. Thesheet material may have a layer of felt or the like laminated to itsouter side to facilitate pinning of dress material thereto. Thefasteners may, for instance, be the well known paper fasteners of thesplit stem type con-z sisting of a head and a pair of bendable legsadapted to be spread following their insertion through a hole.

The right hand parts comprise a yoke member 10 adapted to betransversely bent to provide an upper shoulder portion 11, a forwardchest portion 12 and a rearward back portion 13, the inner edges 14 and15 of the chest and back portions being in substantially straightvertical lines and connected at their upper ends to the ends of anarcuate neck conforming cutout 16 in the shoulder portion. An outer edge!17, also disposed substantially vertically, extends along the backportion, the shoulder portion and the chest portion, and at its lowerend is connected to a downwardly and inwardly curved edge 18 along theouter side of the lower part of the chest portion 12. By virtue of thedownwardly and inwardly curved edge 18 the lower edge 19 of the chestportion 12 is relatively narrow, while the lower edge 20' of the backportion 13 is relatively wide.

A shoulder extension member 21, of generally elongated rectangular shapein its flatcondition, is adapted to be curved into a substantiallyinverted U-shape for providing a shoulder extension to the yoke member,as will hereinafter more fully appear. A crescent shaped underarm member22. is adapted to be pivotally attached at its forward end to theforward outside corner of the shoulder extension member 21, as willpresently more fully appear, and its rearward end is adapted to beadjustably connected by a hanger member 23 to the rearward outsidecorner of the shoulder extension member 21.

A collar member 24-, in the form of an elongated strip The several partsare, provided with suitably positioned" holes so that when these partsare overlapped the per forations will so register that they may beadjustably secured together. In the case of the yoke member @10', aplurality of series of horizontally spaced holes 27 are providedadjacent the edges 14 and a plurality of'series of horizontally spacedholes 28 is provided adjacent the edge 15. Adjacent the edge 17 theshoulder portion 11 is provided with a series of laterally spaced holes29, the chest port-ion 112 is provided with a series of holes 3%, andthe back portion is provided with a series of holes 31. The

shoulder extension member 21 is provided with holes 32, 33 and 34adjacent its inner edge for respective cooperation with the holes 29, 30and 3 1, and is provided at its forward and rearward corners with holes35 and, 356

for respective cooperation with a series of holes 37 inthe forward endof the underarm member 22 and a series. of holes 38 in the hanger member23.

At the rearward end of the underarm member 22 there, are provided aseries of holes 39 forcooperation with one of the holes 38 of the hangermember 23-for connect;

ing the underarm member thereto. The collar member is provide d atitsback portionwith. a hole 40; and atv each of its forward end portionswith series of holes til--41. The connector member 25 is provided with aseries of holes 42 and the connector member 26 is provided with a seriesof holes 43.

The bust simulating portion of the form comprises a pair of right andleft discs 44, each having four equally spaced radial slits 45 extendingfrom a central area 46 to the periphery. At one side of each slit thereis provided a series of spaced holes 47 and at the other side a singlehole 48, so that upon overlapping the portions of the disc adjacent theslits to bring the holes 48 into register with selected holes 47, thedisc may be shaped to cup form, as shown in Fig. 3, and thereuponsecured by a fastener '49. Right and left hanger members 50, each havinga series of holes 51, are adapted to be connected to the outer edge ofthe right and left bust simulating members, as will presently more fullyappear, and a horizontal connector member 52 having a series of holes 53is adapted to be connected between their inner edges.

' The several parts of the form are adapted to be assembled, as shown inFig. 4, and for this purpose the overlapped portions of the severalparts are secured by fasteners 4? of the same type as used in formingthe bust simulating members. The right and left yoke members have theirforward and rearward inner edges overlapped and by engaging fasteners inthe registering holes 27 at the forward side and the registering holes28 at the rearward side, the two yoke members are rigidly securedtogether, and by selective register of the holes the overall width ofthe assembled yoke members is determined, as well as the size of theneck opening formed by the two arcuate neck cutouts 16.

The collar member is secured in the neck opening by engaging the upperfastener 49 securing the back por tions through the rear hole '40 andengaging the upper fastener securing the front portions through theproper registered holes 41 in the forward ends of the collar. Theshoulder extensions 21 are engaged at the desired projected positionwithin the shoulder portions 11 by fasteners engaged through the holes32, 33 and 34 registered with the selected holes of the series of holes29, 30 and 31. The underarm member 22 is secured by a fastener 49engaged through the hole 32 and one of the holes 37. The hanger member23 is engaged by a fastener 49 engaged through a hole 46 of the shoulderextension and one of the holes 38, and the hanger member is adjustablysecured to the rearward end of the underarm member by a fastener 49engaged through one of the holes 38 and a selected one of the holes 39.The connection members 25 and 26 are connected to the overlapped forwardand rearward ends of the yoke members by engaging the fasteners at thelower ends of the front and back portions with a selected one of theholes 42 and '43 of the respective connection members.

, The two bust members 44 are connected at the desired laterally spacedposition by the connection member 52, the fastener at the respectiveinner side of each bust member being engaged through one of the holes 53of the member 52. The two bust members connected by the member 52 arethereupon connected at the desired height adjusted position by themembers 50 at each side, these members being connected by engaging thefastener 49 at the respective outer side of each bust member through oneof the holes 51 and by engaging the fastener securing the forward end ofthe underarm member 22 to the shoulder extension member 21 through oneof the holes 51. Thus the bust simulating members are freely supportedin any adjusted position of adjustment. If desired, they can be fixedagainst lateral displacement by engaging a fastener 49, as shown in Fig.4, through the center hole 53 of the member 52 and then engaging thefastener through holes which may be punched in the overlapped parts ofthe chest portions 12 of the yoke members.

While the form as hereinbefore described may be supported upon anysuitable support, it is preferred to use it in cooperation with a dressform of the type as disclosed in my co-pending application abovereferred to (Serial Number 549,287). This form is illustrated in Fig. 5and consists generally of a truncated cone member 54 mounted forvertical adjustment upon a tripod stand 55 and having at its upper end avertically extensible rod 56 upon the upper end of which there issupported a shoulder support hanger 57 projecting laterally at each sideof the rod 56. The cone is provided with a series of circumferencemarkings 58 of gradually increasing circumference from top to bottom,and which indicate a series of various size waist line points. Upon thisform there is engaged a body simulating member 59, preferably formed ofpadded material, and which includes a lower hip portion 60, a waistportion 61 and an upper diaphragm portion 62. Pads 63 are preferablyinserted within the hip portions.

As shown in Fig. 5, the form of the present invention is engaged uponthe shoulder support 57 with the ends of the connection members 25 and26 inserted between the surface of the cone and the waist portion 61 ofthe form 59. The lower end of the forward chest portion preferablyengages within the diaphragm portion 62 while the bust simulatingmembers 44 engage at the outer side of the portion 62. The member 59 isadjustable to various waist sizes, and, depending upon the waist size,will engage the cone 54 at a corresponding circumference point. Byvertical adjustment of the rod 56, the shoulder may be placed at thedesired height from the waist and by adjustment of the cone upon thestand 54, the waist may be placed at the desired distance from thefloor.

While the hanger members 50 connected to the outer ends of the bustmembers are illustrated as being connected at their upper ends to theshoulder extension members, it is pointed out that in the case ofadapting the form to a relatively narrow shoulder, the shoulderextension members may be dispensed with and the hanger members directlyconnected to the yoke member, utilizing the holes 30 for this purpose.Also, the underarm members 32 and the hanger members 23 may also bedirectly connected to the yoke member, utilizing the holes 30 and 31 forthis purpose.

What is claimed is:

A dress form comprising an identical pair of reversely opposite rightand left yoke members simulating in their external shape the respectiveright and left shoulders of a human body and the forward chest andrearward back portions of the body immediately below the shoulders, eachformed of a single piece of normally fiat flexible relatively stiffsheet material and each including a forward chest portion having innerand outer edges, a rearward back portion having inner and outer edges,and an arched shoulder portion, integrally continuous with and spanningsaid chest and back portions, having a concavely curved inner edge lyingin a substantially horizontal plane and defining substantially one-halfof a circular neck opening having its crown directed outwardly, and anarched outer edge lying in a substantially vertical plane, the innermarginal portions of said chest and back portions of said right and leftyoke members adjacent their inner edges being overlapped in laterallyadjusted relation whereby the size of the neck opening defined by saidcurved inner edges of said shoulder portions is adjustable, fasteningmeans in said overlapped marginal portions securing said yoke members intheir positions of adjustment, a pair of arched shoulder extensionmembers, each in the form of a single piece of normally flat flexiblerelatively stiff sheet material, respectively overlappingly engaged attheir inner marginal portions with the outer marginal portions of saidrespective yoke members adjacent the outer arched edges of said shoulderportions, fastening means in said last mentioned overlapped marginalportions securing said extension members to said yoke members, a pair ofbust members each comprising a pair of substantially circular pieces offlexible relatively stifl sheet material each having radial slit meanspermitting adjustable overlapping and fastening of the portions of saidmaterial at each side of said slit means to form said pieces of materialinto cup form, a connection member in the form of a strip of flexiblerelatively stiff sheet material adjustably connected for horizontaladjustment between the inner edges of said respective bust members, andhanger members in the form of strips of flexible relatively stiff sheetmaterial adjustably connected for vertical adjustment between the outeredge portions of said respective bust members and the forward endportions of said respective shoulder extension portions extendingoutwardly from said yoke members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS HallOct. 9, 1888 Schell May 4, 1897 Sims Mar. 27, 1900 Smith Feb. 3, 1914Belling Nov. 4, 1924 Shafarman Aug. 16, 1949 Beal Sept. 13, 1949 BaldwinNov. 22, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Dec. 9, 1948

